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COMMUNITY COUNCIL ELECTIONS:
The door is open until 27 February for you to take part.
Grange Prestonfield Community Council (GPCC) needs 16 people* to walk through that door and take a place as an Elected Member.
Here’s why you should be involved:
The Scottish Government gives your neighbourhood, this Grange Association neighbourhood, the opportunity to be heard on all local and city issues, by way of your Community Council. GPCC is your calling card to City Chambers and your hotline ‘right of way’ to the City Council. GPCC helps to represent to all public agencies your ‘place’, your ‘space’, your day-to-day amenity and wellbeing as a local resident.
However, you have to stand up to speak up.
Elected Councillors in City Chambers want to hear from you; you’re the reason they are there. Council Officers want to hear from you; after all, they manage this city on your behalf. That said, your priorities are not always theirs. It can be a real push to get them to pay attention to what you and your community have to say. GPCC can lead the way.
So, what do you do? You can stand to the side, and let neighbourhood and city change wash past you. Or you can carve out some time to support and work with GPCC, to raise your local voice to help get on top of the important issues that can shape life where you live. There is a long list of them.
While you’re thinking about it, just remember:
If you and your community don’t speak up, you won’t be heard.
If you aren’t heard, you won’t be listened to.
Community Council elections are a civic participation opportunity, for you as an individual and for local interest, amenity, volunteer or residents’ groups. The Grange Association is a representative member as a local interest group. (It will have to re-register.) However, GPCC has a real need for new Elected Members, to work in areas such as local planning and development applications, media comms and polling.
Community Councils give you the opportunity to put real meaning into ‘local democracy’. If you don’t safeguard that, you lose it. (*If fewer than 8 people look for a GPCC appointment, your Community Council will not stand.)
Think about becoming an Elected Member of GPCC. You need to live within the GPCC boundary area and be 16 or over. The nomination window closes on 27 February. For more information, go to: facebook.com/gpccedinburgh, or http://www.grangeprestonfieldcc.org.uk
You can also contact GPCC member Ken Robertson at ken.robertson22@btinternet.com
POSTING THE FOLLOWING UPDATE ON BEHALF OF KEN ROBERTSON
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Report on GPCC 9 February 2025 Meeting: Cllr. Steve Burgess in attendance
Cllr. Burgess’ Report: Council Budget due for settlement on 20 Feb. Very tight situation Expect c. 8% rise in council tax and rise in parking charges (meter and permits).
Licensing: Application for weekend licensing amendment at The Grey Horse pub on Dalkeith Road
Roads: Cameron Toll works continue into mid-April. Expect disruption and closures. See GPCC site for recent entry on Electric Vehicle road charging plans. North Bridge engineering works move to a new phase with fresh closures. Pothole plague takes the city to the top of the Scottish charts.
Rail: Heriot Watt engineering students project group open petition urging policymakers to integrate the South Suburban Line into the existing tram network, opening a new transport corridor for the city.
Read more at:
https://www.hw.ac.uk/news/2025/call-for-edinburghs-south-suburban-rail-line-to-reopen-to-passengers-after-60-years .If you like the idea, access the petition here:
https://www.change.org/p/reopen-edinburgh-s-south-sub-using-tram-trains?redirect_reason=guest_userNewington Cemetery Group: Continued progress on ground clearance, fencing and headstone care. Commemorative heritage event at the cemetery on Monday 28 April for renowned Penicuik engineer James Finlayson, 1830s industrial pioneer in Finland. Important man. See GPCC site for more detail.
Community Council Elections: GPCC needs your support. Consider becoming an Elected Member. Become our Planning Lead. Become our Engagement Manager. Do something. Back your community’s voice at City Chambers. If we lose it, you’ve lost it. See the GPCC website now.
GPCC site: https://www.grangeprestonfieldcc.org.uk/
Grange Prestonfield CC – this is from a GPCC Member:
“The GPCC is 3 short of names to stand as elected members at this point where it must reconstitute. 8 are needed as absolute minimum by 4pm Thursday – if less than 8, the GPCC folds completely.
It represents an area of close to 12000 residents.
Do you know of anyone who would be interested? Search for Edinburgh Community Councils website to find out background to the elections and for a simple two-page nomination form, or go here on the Council website.
The website above carries the area map, and a Proposer and Seconder from the GPCC area are needed. The completed Nomination Form can be sent in by photo.
(If between 8 and 16 nominations submitted, election will be made without any need for ‘vote’ or ballot. )
Please pass this on to anyone in the GPCC area who might conceivably be interested.
This is short notice, but the shortfall in candidate numbers is a late surprise.”
We learned on 3rd March that, just before the 27th Feb deadline, Grange Prestonfield Community Council (GPCC) did manage to attract sufficient valid nominations for Elected Members for it to reconstitute as a community council from 28th March – thanks very much if you were one of them!
A number of Local Interest Groups will also participate formally, and Richard Brown will be the Nominated Representative Member for the Grange Association.
One of the core undertakings of a community council is to survey and capture neighbourhood opinion on both key local issues and wider city issues, as they affect our place, our space, our amenity and well-being. It will be GPCC’s undertaking to get the message through to City Chambers, Council HQ and other public agencies. We’ll need your help to help do that.
The first meeting of the new GPCC will be in April – the date is still to be fixed. We’ll pass on more detail as we receive it. In the meantime, let us know if you have any queries.
Good news indeed, thanks for all the updates Richard and Ken
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